So me and my goats and chickens and dogs and my one acre hobby farm of a house and a garage/barn/coop/hashed and a garden and a little pasture. Zoned residential, shouldn’t have things the way they are, but make every effort not to irrigate the neighbors. Livestock management is relatively small but big in my mind.

The babies are so cute. And the mothers give milk. And they are quick composters for most organic waste. But with the above crowded onto the acre, I can’t keep them all.

The plan I have had for the last few years, is keep one of the girl babies back, breed her in the fall, along with my main girl Priya. Have babies next spring, keep a girl back, etc. Sell a young milking doe every year, used to hand milking and the milk stand in the summer. Course Priya is not going anywhere. Four years and thousands of litres of milk, and she is permanent, my friend and work companion. Sunny will be the young doe in milk that is for sale this year.

Advertised her on Kijiji a couple weeks ago. Yearling Alpine cross, in milk, used to hand milking, family goat etc. No serious response. But I did get a call from an elderly sounding lady, asking if she was quiet.

The conversation went as follows: “We want a milk goat so bad. We have been married 57 years, and have always had goats. And last fall, my husband got sick and we had to sell them. But he is better now and we want to get another one. But it has to be gentle, because he walks with a cane.” I told her this young kind of pushy one wouldn’t really work for her.

Two weeks on Kijiji, no serious replies. So I phone the lady back. “Did you find a goat yet?” No they hadn’t. “I maybe could sell you my main nanny, five years old, gentle, great milk producer, but I want top dollar for her.”

“Bring her, we will take her” was the reply. Without seeing her or anything, So I loaded my friend up and drove for an hour and found these two old people waiting anxiously. He had the lawn chair set up in the pasture. When I left, he was leading her with one hand and his cane in the other.

So, sad as I was to see my faithful girl go, and I did shed a tear, it seems it was meant to be. I now have Sunny to get attached to for the long term, and Priya has a great home.

Life is good.

Attachments

Priya an Sunny an me

Priya and babies

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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.

I hope you told them that if they ever had to give her up for any reason, that you would take her back in a heartbeat.

Linda

I agree. I hope you told them that you would take her back too. An elderly couple, one of whom had health issues in the past, but has recovered and is now "better" ... life can change in a heartbeat for them: They have had to sell their goats once, so it may have to happen again.